Pointillist Style

Pointillism is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of pure colour are applied in patterns to form an image. The technique relies on the ability of the eye to blend the colour spots into a fuller range of tones. The practice of pointillism is in sharp contrast to traditional methods of blending pigments on a palette. If red, blue, and green light (the additive primaries) are mixed, the result is white light. Painted pigments are on the other hand subtractive, but pointillist colours often seem brighter than mixed subtractive colours. This is for two main reasons; the eye receives unsubtracted colour from each primary dot, and unmixed pigments retain their optical purity. Some of the white canvas may also be showing between the applied dots. Lines and shapes are implied by the grouping of dots, and oil paints are often used due to their thickness and tendency not to bleed.

Pointillist Painters